Nehemia 13:14

13:14 Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!

Nehemia 5:19

5:19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Nehemia 2:4

2:4 The king responded, ¹  “What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven

Nehemia 6:12

6:12 I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. ² 

Nehemia 4:9

4:9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them ³  both day and night.

Nehemia 8:8

8:8 They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it ⁴  and imparting insight. Thus the people ⁵  gained understanding from what was read.

Nehemia 13:29

13:29 Please remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood, ⁶  and the Levites.

Nehemia 11:11

11:11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor in the temple of God,

Nehemia 12:40

12:40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations ⁷  in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me,

Nehemia 13:4

13:4 But prior to this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms ⁸  of the temple of our God.

Nehemia 1:5

1:5 Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant ⁹  with those who love him and obey ¹⁰  his commandments,

Nehemia 11:16

11:16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, leaders ¹¹  of the Levites, were in charge of the external work for the temple of God;

Nehemia 9:7

9:7 “You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham.

Nehemia 9:18

9:18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious ¹²  blasphemies.

Nehemia 9:3

9:3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins ¹³  and worshiping the LORD their God.

Nehemia 10:36

10:36 We also accept responsibility, as is written in the law, for bringing the firstborn of our sons and our cattle and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks to the temple of our God, to the priests who are ministering in the temple of our God.

Nehemia 13:9

13:9 Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment ¹⁴  of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense.

Nehemia 10:34

10:34 “We – the priests, the Levites, and the people – have cast lots concerning the wood offerings, to bring them to the temple of our God according to our families ¹⁵  at the designated times year by year to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as is written in the law.

Nehemia 9:31

9:31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

Nehemia 12:46

12:46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors ¹⁶  for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God.

Nehemia 8:6

8:6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemia 10:29

10:29 hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders ¹⁷  and enter into a curse and an oath ¹⁸  to adhere to ¹⁹  the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey ²⁰  carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, ²¹  along with his ordinances and his statutes.

Nehemia 10:32

10:32 We accept responsibility for fulfilling ²²  the commands to give ²³  one third of a shekel each year for the work of the temple ²⁴  of our God,

Nehemia 9:4

9:4 Then the Levites – Jeshua, Binnui, ²⁵  Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani – stood on the steps and called out loudly ²⁶  to the LORD their God.

Nehemia 13:1

Further Reforms by Nehemiah

13:1 On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing ²⁷  of the people. They found ²⁸  written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God,

Nehemia 4:20

4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!”

Nehemia 13:27

13:27 Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying ²⁹  foreign wives?”

Nehemia 5:9

5:9 Then I ³⁰  said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! ³¹  Should you not conduct yourselves ³²  in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?

Nehemia 6:14

6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs – also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to scare me!

Nehemia 6:16

6:16 When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw ³³  this, they were greatly disheartened. ³⁴  They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

Nehemia 12:45

12:45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and ³⁵  his son Solomon.

Nehemia 13:31

13:31 I also provided for ³⁶  the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the first fruits.

Please remember me for good, O my God.

Nehemia 5:13

5:13 I also shook out my garment, ³⁷  and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out ³⁸  this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. ³⁹ 

Nehemia 13:26

13:26 Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made ⁴⁰  him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin!

Nehemia 2:20

2:20 I responded to them by saying, “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. ⁴¹  But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.” ⁴² 

Nehemia 13:7

13:7 and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God.

Nehemia 13:11

13:11 So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions. ⁴³ 

Nehemia 9:32

9:32 “So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity ⁴⁴  – do not regard as inconsequential ⁴⁵  all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day!

Nehemia 11:22

11:22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph’s descendants who were the singers responsible for the service of the temple of God.

Nehemia 8:16

8:16 So the people went out and brought these things ⁴⁶  back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple ⁴⁷  of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.

Nehemia 4:15

4:15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters, ⁴⁸  God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work.

Nehemia 12:36

12:36 and his colleagues – Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani – with musical instruments of ⁴⁹  David the man of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.) ⁵⁰ 

Nehemia 13:2

13:2 for they had not met the Israelites with food ⁵¹  and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.)

Nehemia 2:12

2:12 I got up during the night, along with a few men who were with me. But I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me, except for the one ⁵²  I was riding.

Nehemia 4:4

4:4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile!

Nehemia 10:28

10:28 “Now the rest of the people – the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple attendants, and all those who have separated themselves from the neighboring peoples ⁵³  because of the law of God, along with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all of whom are able to understand –

Nehemia 5:15

5:15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to ⁵⁴  forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God.

Nehemia 9:5

9:5 The Levites – Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah – said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God!”

“May you be blessed, O LORD our God, from age to age. ⁵⁵  May your glorious name ⁵⁶  be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise.

Nehemia 12:24

12:24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified by ⁵⁷  David the man of God.

Nehemia 12:43

12:43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.

Nehemia 13:18

13:18 Isn’t this the way your ancestors ⁵⁸  acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!”

Nehemia 2:18

2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what ⁵⁹  the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” ⁶⁰  So they readied themselves ⁶¹  for this good project.

Nehemia 8:18

8:18 Ezra ⁶²  read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. ⁶³  They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly ⁶⁴  as was required. ⁶⁵ 

Nehemia 9:17

9:17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. ⁶⁶  But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. ⁶⁷  You did not abandon them,

Nehemia 13:22

13:22 Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.

Nehemia 7:5

7:5 My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders, ⁶⁸  the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records ⁶⁹  of those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that record: ⁷⁰ 

Nehemia 10:38

10:38 A priest of Aaron’s line ⁷¹  will be with the Levites when the Levites collect the tithes, and the Levites will bring up a tenth of the tithes to the temple of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.

Nehemia 2:8

2:8 and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king’s nature preserve, ⁷²  so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall ⁷³  and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests, ⁷⁴  for the good hand of my God was on me.

Nehemia 8:9

8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, ⁷⁵  Ezra the priestly scribe, ⁷⁶  and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, ⁷⁷  “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law.

Nehemia 13:25

13:25 So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off ⁷⁸  your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!

Nehemia 6:10

6:10 Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home. ⁷⁹  He said, “Let’s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.”

Nehemia 10:33

10:33 for the loaves of presentation and for the regular grain offerings and regular burnt offerings, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the appointed meetings, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the temple of our God.

Nehemia 10:37

10:37 We will also bring the first of our coarse meal, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of new wine, and of olive oil to the priests at the storerooms of the temple of our God, along with a tenth of the produce ⁸⁰  of our land to the Levites, for the Levites are the ones who collect the tithes in all the cities where we work. ⁸¹ 

Nehemia 1:3-4

1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable ⁸²  adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” ⁸³ 

1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, ⁸⁴  crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemia 7:2

7:2 I then put in charge over Jerusalem ⁸⁵  my brother Hanani and Hananiah ⁸⁶  the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do.

Nehemia 6:9

6:9 All of them were wanting ⁸⁷  to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”

So now, strengthen my hands! ⁸⁸ 

Nehemia 11:21

11:21 The temple attendants were living on Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over them. ⁸⁹ 

Nehemia 7:60

7:60 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 392.

Nehemia 3:26

3:26 and the temple servants who were living on Ophel worked ⁹⁰  up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the protruding tower.

Nehemia 10:35

10:35 We also accept responsibility for ⁹¹  bringing the first fruits of our land and the first fruits of every fruit tree year by year to the temple of the LORD.

Nehemia 10:39

10:39 The Israelites and the Levites will bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils of the sanctuary are kept, and where the priests who minister stay, along with the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the temple of our God.”

Nehemia 3:31

3:31 After him Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, worked as far as the house of the temple servants and the traders, opposite the Inspection Gate, ⁹²  and up to the room above the corner.

Nehemia 7:46

7:46 The temple servants:

the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,

Nehemia 2:11

Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem

2:11 So I came to Jerusalem. ⁹³  When I had been there for three days,

Nehemia 7:65

7:65 The governor ⁹⁴  instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult ⁹⁵  the Urim and Thummim.

Nehemia 12:30

12:30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Nehemia 13:12

13:12 Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms.

Nehemia 7:73

7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.

The People Respond to the Reading of the Law

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites ⁹⁶  were settled in their cities, ⁹⁷ 

Nehemia 9:6

9:6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, ⁹⁸  along with all their multitude of stars, ⁹⁹  the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You impart life to them all, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Nehemia 11:3

11:3 These are the provincial leaders ¹⁰⁰  who settled in Jerusalem. (While other Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple attendants, and the sons of the servants of Solomon settled in the cities of Judah, each on his own property in their cities,

Nehemia 4:19

4:19 I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is demanding ¹⁰¹  and extensive, and we are spread out on the wall, far removed from one another.

Nehemia 6:11

6:11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life? ¹⁰²  I will not go!”

Nehemia 7:64

7:64 They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded ¹⁰³  from the priesthood.

Nehemia 8:12

8:12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food ¹⁰⁴  with others ¹⁰⁵  and to enjoy tremendous joy, ¹⁰⁶  for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.

Nehemia 8:14

8:14 They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through ¹⁰⁷  Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month,

Nehemia 11:10

11:10 From the priests:

Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin,

Nehemia 11:15

11:15 From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

Nehemia 13:28

13:28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I banished him from my sight.

Nehemia 8:1

8:1 all the people gathered together ¹⁰⁸  in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked ¹⁰⁹  Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded Israel.

Nehemia 8:10

8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. ¹¹⁰  Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemia 9:26

9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. ¹¹¹  They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.

Nehemia 12:31

12:31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed ¹¹²  on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate.

[2:4]  ¹ tn Heb “said to me.”

[6:12]  ² tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”

[4:9]  ³ tn Heb “against them.” The words “to protect” are added in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness. Some emend MT עֲלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”) to עָלֶיהָ (’aleha, “against it,” i.e., Jerusalem).

[8:8]  ⁴ tn The exact meaning of the pual participle מְפֹרָשׁ (mÿforash) in this verse is uncertain. The basic sense of the Hebrew word seems to be “to make distinct.” The word may also have the sense of “to divide in parts,” “to interpret,” or “to translate.” The context of Neh 8:8 does not decisively clarify how the participle is to be understood here. It probably refers to the role of the Levites as those who explained or interpreted the portions of biblical text that had been publicly read on this occasion. A different option, however, is suggested by the translation distincte (“distinctly”) of the Vulgate (cf. KJV, ASV). If the Hebrew word means “distinctly” here, it would imply that the readers paid particular attention to such things as word-grouping and pronunciation so as to be sure that the listeners had every opportunity to understand the message that was being read. Yet another view is found in the Talmud, which understands translation of the Hebrew text into Aramaic to be what is in view here. The following explanation of Neh 8:8 is found in b. Megillah 3a: “‘And they read in the book, in the law of God’: this indicates the [Hebrew] text; ‘with an interpretation’: this indicates the targum; ‘and they gave the sense’: this indicates the verse stops; ‘and caused them to understand the reading’: this indicates the accentuation, or, according to another version, the Masoretic notes.” However, this ancient rabbinic view that the origins of the Targum are found in Neh 8:8 is debatable. It is not clear that the practice of paraphrasing the Hebrew biblical text into Aramaic in order to accommodate the needs of those Jews who were not at home in the Hebrew language developed this early. The translation of מְפֹרָשׁ adopted above (i.e., “explaining it”) understands the word to have in mind an explanatory function (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT) rather than one of translation.

[8:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:29]  ⁶ tc One medieval Hebrew MS, the Lucianic Greek recension, and the Syriac Peshitta read the plural הַכֹּהֲנִים (hakkohanim, “the priests”) rather than the singular reading of the MT, הַכְּהֻנָּה (hakkÿhunnah, “the priesthood”).

[12:40]  ⁷ tn Heb “stood.”

[13:4]  ⁸ tc The translation reads the plural rather than the singular of the MT.

[1:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).

[1:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “keep.” The Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.

[11:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who were of the heads.”

[9:18]  ¹² tn Heb “great.”

[9:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “confessing.” The words “their sins” are not present in the Hebrew text of v. 3, but are clearly implied here because they are explicitly stated in v. 2.

[13:9]  ¹⁴ tn On the usage of this Hebrew word see HALOT 478-79 s.v. כְּלִי.

[10:34]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the house of our fathers.”

[12:46]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “heads.” The translation reads with the Qere the plural רֹאשֵׁי (ro’shey, “heads”) rather than the Kethib singular רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head”) of the MT.

[10:29]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the nobles.”

[10:29]  ¹⁸ tn The expression “a curse and an oath” may be a hendiadys, meaning “an oath with penalties.”

[10:29]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to walk in.”

[10:29]  ²⁰ tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[10:29]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[10:32]  ²² tn Heb “cause to stand on us.”

[10:32]  ²³ tc The MT reads “to give upon us.” However, the term עָלֵינוּ (’alenu, “upon us”) should probably be deleted, following a few medieval Hebrew MSS, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate.

[10:32]  ²⁴ tn Heb “house” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39).

[9:4]  ²⁵ tc Heb “Bani.” The translation reads “Binnui” (so also NAB) rather than the MT reading “Bani.” Otherwise there are two individuals with the same name in this verse. The name “Binnui” appears, for example, in Neh 10:10.

[9:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in a great voice.”

[13:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “ears.”

[13:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “it was found.” The Hebrew verb is passive.

[13:27]  ²⁹ tn Heb “give a dwelling to.”

[5:9]  ³⁰ tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).

[5:9]  ³¹ tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.

[5:9]  ³² tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”

[6:16]  ³³ tc The MT understands the root here to be יָרֵא (yare’, “to fear”) rather than רָאָה (ra’ah, “to see”).

[6:16]  ³⁴ tn Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַיִּפְּלוּ (vayyipÿlu) to וַיִּפָּלֵא (vayyippale’, “it was very extraordinary in their eyes”).

[12:45]  ³⁵ tc With many medieval Hebrew MSS and the ancient versions the translation reads the conjunction (“and”). It is absent in the Leningrad MS that forms the textual basis for BHS.

[13:31]  ³⁶ tn The words “I also provided for” are not included in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[5:13]  ³⁷ tn Heb “my bosom.”

[5:13]  ³⁸ tn Heb “cause to stand.”

[5:13]  ³⁹ tn Heb “according to this word.”

[13:26]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “gave.”

[2:20]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.

[2:20]  ⁴² tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris: The first two nouns retain their full nominal function, while the third noun functions adjectivally (“right or remembrance” = “ancient right”).

[13:11]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and I stood them on their standing.”

[9:32]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.

[9:32]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”

[8:16]  ⁴⁶ tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “the house.”

[4:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “it was known to us.”

[12:36]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “prescribed by” (NIV, NLT); TEV “of the kind played by.” The precise relationship of these musical instruments to David is not clear.

[12:36]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “was before them.”

[13:2]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “bread.” The Hebrew term is generic here, however, referring to more than bread alone.

[2:12]  ⁵² tn Heb “the animal.”

[10:28]  ⁵³ tn Heb “from the peoples of the lands.” Cf. vv. 30, 31.

[5:15]  ⁵⁴ tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (’akhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (’akhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.”

[9:5]  ⁵⁵ tc The MT reads here only “from age to age,” without the preceding words “May you be blessed, O LORD our God” which are included in the present translation. But apparently something has dropped out of the text. This phrase occurs elsewhere in the OT as a description of the Lord (see Ps 41:13; 106:48), and it seems best to understand it here in that light. The LXX adds “And Ezra said” at the beginning of v. 6 as a transition: “And Ezra said, ‘You alone are the LORD.” Without this addition (which is not included by most modern English translations) the speakers of vv. 9:5b-10:1 continue to be the Levites of v. 5a.

[9:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “the name of your glory.”

[12:24]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “in [accord with] the commandment of.”

[13:18]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “your fathers.”

[2:18]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”

[2:18]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”

[2:18]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”

[8:18]  ⁶² tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:18]  ⁶³ tn Heb “the last day.”

[8:18]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “on the eighth day an assembly.” The words “they held” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:18]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “according to the judgment.”

[9:17]  ⁶⁶ tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX in reading בְּמִצְרָיִם (bÿmitsrayim, “in Egypt”; so also NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT) rather than the MT reading בְּמִרְיָם (bÿmiryam, “in their rebellion”).

[9:17]  ⁶⁷ tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vÿkhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.

[7:5]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “nobles”; NCV “important men.”

[7:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”

[7:5]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “in it”; the referent (the genealogical record) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:38]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “And the priest the son of Aaron.”

[2:8]  ⁷² tn Or “forest.” So HALOT 963 s.v. פַּרְדֵּס 2.

[2:8]  ⁷³ tc One medieval Hebrew MS, the Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate, and the Arabic read here the plural וּלְחוֹמוֹת (ulÿkhomot, “walls”) against the singular וּלְחוֹמַת (ulÿkhomat) in the MT. The plural holem vav (וֹ) might have dropped out due to dittography or the plural form might have been written defectively.

[2:8]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew text does not include the expression “these requests,” but it is implied.

[8:9]  ⁷⁵ tc The unexpected reference to Nehemiah here has led some scholars to suspect that the phrase “Nehemiah the governor” is a later addition to the text and not original.

[8:9]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”

[8:9]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the people.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

[13:25]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “give.”

[6:10]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness.

[10:37]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “a tithe of our land.”

[10:37]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “of our work.”

[1:3]  ⁸² tn Heb “great.”

[1:3]  ⁸³ tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.

[1:4]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.

[7:2]  ⁸⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:2]  ⁸⁶ tn Some have suggested that “Hananiah” is another name for Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother, so that only one individual is mentioned here. However, the third person plural in v. 3 indicates two people are in view.

[6:9]  ⁸⁷ tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.

[6:9]  ⁸⁸ tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).

[11:21]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the temple attendants.” The pronoun “them” has been substituted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[3:26]  ⁹⁰ tc The Hebrew text lacks the verb “worked.” It is implied, however, and has been supplied in the translation.

[10:35]  ⁹¹ tn The words “we accept responsibility” are not included in the Hebrew text, but are inferred from v. 33 (so also in v. 37).

[3:31]  ⁹² tn Heb “Miphkad Gate” (so TEV; KJV similar); NRSV “Muster Gate.”

[2:11]  ⁹³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:65]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew term תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshata’; KJV “Tirshatha”) is the official title of a Persian governor in Judea. In meaning it may be similar to “excellency” (cf. NAB). See further BDB 1077 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395; HALOT 1798 s.v.

[7:65]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “stood.”

[7:73]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.

[7:73]  ⁹⁷ tn The traditional understanding of the chapter and verse division here is probably incorrect. The final part of v. 73 is best understood as belonging with 8:1.

[9:6]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “the heavens of the heavens.”

[9:6]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “all their host.”

[11:3]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “the heads of the province.”

[4:19]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “much.”

[6:11]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “go into the temple and live.”

[7:64]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “they were desecrated.”

[8:12]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “to send portions.”

[8:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Hebrew text does not include the phrase “with others” but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:12]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “to make great joy.”

[8:14]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “by the hand of.”

[8:1]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “like one man.”

[8:1]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “said [to].”

[8:10]  ¹¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:26]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”

[12:31]  ¹¹² tc The translation reads וְהָאַחַת הֹלֶכֶת (vÿha’akhat holekhet, “and one was proceeding”) rather than the MT reading וְתַהֲלֻכֹת (vÿtahalukhot, “and processions”).